Politico's Josh Kraushaar adds an interesting new name to the mix of potential 2010 Senate candidates: former Steelers star Franco Harris.

Pennsylvania Democratic party chairman TJ Rooney tells Politico he’s hearing a new big-time name mentioned to run against Sen. Arlen Specter: former Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Franco Harris.

Maybe it’s just the buzz surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl, but Rooney said he’s been hearing a lot of interest among state party activists of recruiting Harris into the race.

Harris would recreate the air of celebrity that the race has been missing since Chris Matthews bowed out earlier this month. But we all remember the last time a former Steelers star ran a statewide campaign -- and it wasn't pretty.

Ok, there'll be others. But U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent will be at the White House with the new president on Sunday, watching the Steelers play the Cardinals.

It will be the second trip in five days to the White House for Dent, whose moderate status is quickly gathering the interest of Obama as he aims to woo the GOP.

UPDATE: It's going to be a Pennsylvania affair. Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey are among other lawmakers invited to the White House. We're wondering if Obama -- a Bears fan -- knows what he's getting into, inviting a bunch of rowdy Pennsylvania sports fans over to his house. It could get ugly.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter has turned to Christopher Nicholas to run his 2010 reelection campaign, retaining the same consultant who guided the Pennsylvania Republican's successful race in 2004.

Nicholas, president of Harrisburg-based Eagle Consulting Group, will also manage direct mail for the campaign. He's a longtime veteran of Specter elections, having first worked for him on the 1992 campaign.

The biggest difference this year? Nicholas is on board two months earlier than he was ahead of the 2004 campaign, when Specter eked by Pat Toomey in the primary and then handily beat Joe Hoeffel in the general election.

U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-11th District, will buck his party and vote against the economic stimulus proposal, arguing members were not included in the discussion over the bill and the money wouldn't be spent quickly enough to stimulate the economy.

"We face the most challenging economic crisi since the Great Depression, yet this bill merely throws money at the problem by expanding existing programs," Kanjorski said on the House floor today.

Kanjorski, who has called out regulators for being absent during the financial crisis, argued that federal, state and local regulations should be waived so transportation dollars could be spent quickly.

"Having dealt with publicly-financed projects for more than forty years, I can assure you that numerous federal, state and local regulations will provide numerous obstacles to getting this money spent both quickly and wisely."

He concluded: "No piece of legislation is ever perfect; I recognize that compromise is always necessary to reflect the diverse interests of a country as heterogeneous as ours. Had we reached this bill through a more orderly, bipartisan basis, I very well may have cast my vote for it."

For those trying to find out how Pennsylvania might be impacted by the $825 billion economic stimulus bill the House is considering tonight, the AP just put out a handy little guide to some of the key areas where Pennsylvania would get money. Here they are...

Think again. Gov. Palin, fresh off a media tour in which she accused the press of treating her unfairly during the election, has launched her own political action committee, a sure sign she plans to play some future role in Republican politics.

SarahPAC is a "federally registered political action committee that supports Gov. Sarah Palin's plans to build a better, stronger, and safer America in the 21st century." according to her new website.

The picturesque website www.sarahpac.com, features a sweeping Alaskan landscape, and lists vague but popular prioritiess such as energy independence, economic strength and championing families and small businesses. That's hard to argue with, right? No mention of her conservative stands on like abortion and stem cell research.

The site says the money raised by SarahPAC would be used to support local and national candidates who share her priorities. That kind of support can pay dividends down the road for candidates seeking national office. Keep an eye on her fund-raising results as an early indicator of her potential impact on a 2012 presidential election.

David Urban, a former chief of staff to Sen. Arlen Specter, has been subpoenaed by the defense in the trial of former state Sen. Vincent Fumo.

It's all rather complicated, but essentially what it boils down to is a meeting Urban had with a contractor who is alleged to have done no work under a $150,000 contract. His meeting with Urban, the defense plans to argue, is evidence that the contractor did indeed do some work.

Urban, a lobbyist with American Continental, said he is in no trouble and is one of about 10 witnesses the defense is calling to testify to back up its case that the contractor did work. Neither he nor Specter are implicated in the case.

"This resolution concerns a subpoena for testimony in a criminal case against former Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent J. Fumo in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

"In this case, Mr. Fumo and two others are charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, fraud, obstruction of justice, and filing false tax returns. Among the charges is that Mr. Fumo, as chairman of the Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee, arranged for a friend, referred to as ``Senate Contractor No. 5'' in the indictment, to obtain a contract under which he was paid $150,000 over 5 years, but performed little or no work. To rebut the allegation that no work was performed under the contract, the defense has subpoenaed Senator Specter's former chief of staff, David Urban, to testify as a fact witness at trial as to contracts about and a meeting he had with Senate Contractor No. 5 during that 5-year contract. During that meeting, which was a typical meeting for a United States Senate office, Senate Contractor No. 5 explored possible federal funding for a low-income housing project in South Philadelphia. Neither the meeting nor the project itself are the subject of the criminal complaint. Senator Specter has no objection to allowing the testimony."

Geithner was confirmed by a 60-34 Senate vote, after paying back more than $42,000 in unpaid taxes and interest that he owed before he was nominated.

Specter joined most other Republicans in voting against Geithner.

Specter said at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon before the vote that he was inclined to overlook Geithner's unpaid taxes because he doesn't want a long delay in the selection of a new treasury secretary.

Geithner has described his failure to pay the taxes a matter of "careless mistakes."

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has invited U.S. Reps. Charlie Dent, Jim Gerlach and several other Republicans to the White House for dinner Tuesday night, the same day President Obama goes to the Hill to woo Republican support for the stimulus bill.

It's not clear how many GOP lawmakers have been invited to join Emanuel for dinner, but one congressional aide said he supected it was about a dozen.

Both Dent and Gerlach are members of the Tuesday Group, which includes several dozen moderate Republicans. Both will be a hard sell for Emanuel -- if he's looking to garner their support for the $825 billion spending and tax cut package House members are scheduled to take up Wednesday.

Dent said Monday he'd probably oppose the bill as it stands. Gerlach appears to be leaning in that direction, based on comments from his spokesman.

Categories:Current Affairs
Posted by John Micek at 02:40:30 PM on January 26, 2009

Good Afternoon, Everyone.
We're just back from this afternoon's Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, where we found Pennsylvania's
senior United States senator in fine fettle.
As you might expect, the bon mots were flying fast and furious -- aided, we suspect by the presence of Specter's favorite Fourth Estate foil, Philly Daily News columnist John Baer.
We'll leave the serious news reporting to others, and leave you with
some of this afternoon's greatest hits. These come more or less in
order.

On Why He Got Into Politics.Specter told a very long story about his father who fled Russia to escape deportation by the Czar (Nicholas?) to Siberia, instead settling in Kansas. Papa Specter then went into This Man's Army, where he was wounded during fighting in the Argonne Forest in World War I.Specter then related the tale of the doughboys who marched on
Washington to claim their government-promised bonuses, only to find
themselves under fire from U.S. Army troops called out by President Herbert Hoover.
"In a sense, I've been marching on Washington ever since to get my
father's bonus," he said. "I haven't gotten it yet, so that's why I'm
running for re-election."

On What He Has In Common With Gerry Brown:
Apparently, both Specter and the former paramour of Linda Ronstadt have both run for five different offices. Who knew?On What He Plans To Do About The Stimulus:
"We'll consider it tomorrow in the Judiciary Committee. I'd like the
chance to have some hearings and analysis. So far, I haven't seen the
text. I don't like voting on legislation without any analysis or text.
We did it that way with the $700 billion stimulus which turned out to
be not too smart."

On What's Coming Up For Him With 41 Rs In The Senate:"It's been a hot spot for me and now it's hotter. There's pressure on [Republican] moderates to be the 60th [Democratic] vote."

Do You Think There's Specter Fatigue?"No. There are 12 million voters in Pennsylvania, and so far, I've
only reached 10.4 million of them. And you invited me. I didn't
volunteer to come."

Will You Step Up And Filibuster The Stimulus If The GOP Asks You To?"It depends on what the stimulus is. I'm not going to vote for a pig
in a poke until I know what it is ... I'm going to jump off that bridge
when I come to it."

What Do You Think You'll Get From Obama That You Didn't Under Bush?"I do expect embryonic stem cell research to become law ... There's
no better investment than medical research to prevent illnesses."

Specter, On Losing His Hair Last Year:"People said I should shave my head and become a sex symbol."
(much audience laughter)
"What's so funny?" ... "There were two reasons I didn't: My wife was
against it, and with a reason like that, you don't need another one."

On His Biggest Disappointment From The Bush Years."Attorney General [Alberto] Gonzales. He said we didn't have Habeas corpus in the Constitution."

On His Concerns About New AG Nominee Eric Holder:
"Whether he will be sufficiently independent of the president. The
Attorney General is in the Cabinet, bit he is a different kind of
officer. The attorney general has a duty which is independent to the
people and the rule of law."

On What He Thinks Of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel:
"Ohhh .... I don't have any [thoughts] ... He's a good guy. He was on
the front page of the New York Times yesterday thumbing his nose at
Democrats. Maybe he's the kind of guy I should like ... I withdraw that
last statement."

So About That First $350 Billion From TARP:"It'slargely been unaccounted for."

And Treasury Nominee Tim Geithner?"It's a tough decision and a close matter. I'm going to listen to
the debate when I get back (The Senate is now scheduled to vote tonight
on Geithner). I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt becaise
I don't want to see a long delay. But I'm not happy about a guy who
doesn't pay his taxes until he's nominated to become Treasury
Secretary."
So How About Becoming A Democrat Again?
Gov. Rendell said he'd help me raise money if I became a Democrat. I
told him that if I became a Democrat, I wouldn't need to raise money
... I feel comfortable in the Republican Party. I feel comfortable on
issues like fiscal restraint. I believe there is room for moderate
Republicans. And if you could be a fly on the wall in our caucus room,
you'd like to have somoene like Olympia Snow (R-ME) or Arlen Specter in
there for their points of view."

Should Former Bush Officials Be Prosecuted For Illegal Torture?"It depends on the facts of the case. If they have an authoritative
[legal] opinion from a lawyer as to what is legal, it is appropriate to
follow that direction. It depends really upon what the conduct was. You
cannot grant blanket immunity, but you can't go after people. I'm with
President Obama, we need to look forward."

On His Opposition To Pell Grants In The Stimulus:"Because Pell Grants ought to come in the budget generally. I'm all
for increasing Pell Grants in the budget and we have another budget
coming up. The stimulus package has got to be targeted to putting
people to work."

How Will You Vote On Card-Check (Union Memebrship)?"I decided long ago not to answer questions under pressure. It's a
serious question with very serious implications for the economy."

Ummm ... soooo .....

How Big A Contribution Did You Have To Make To The Pat Toomey For Governor For Campaign?"He's an able fellow. And he's part of a strong cadre of able candidates for governor. It will be a lively election year."

Former Lehigh Valley Congressman Pat Toomey has decided against a repeat run for Senate in 2010, turning instead toward a possible bid for governor as he reaches out to Republicans statewide to assess his potential candidacy next year.

Toomey, president of the anti-tax group The Club for Growth, is scheduled to sit down with several influential and deep-pocketed Lehigh Valley Republicans in early February to “discuss his thinking of a possible gubernatorial run,” according to an e-mail invitation sent out Friday on behalf of Arcadia Properties founder Richard Thulin.

He has also put calls out statewide to supporters this week with the aim of raising money to do some preliminary polling.

At the same time, Toomey has dropped consideration of a repeat run for Senate in 2010.

In a statement, Toomey said he has had “several preliminary conversations with supporters of mine regarding a possible run for governor in 2010.”

“Given the state of Pennsylvania’s economy and the disastrous state budget deficits we face, there certainly is a need for major changes in Harrisburg,” Toomey said. “It is still very early in my exploration of a possible run but it is something I will consider.”

The move comes as the field on both sides of the aisle deepens well in advance of the 2010 primaries.

A half-dozen Democratic and Republican candidates have been laying the groundwork for gubernatorial bids, including Democratic Lehigh County executive Don Cunningham and Allegheny County executive Dan Onorato as well as Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, state attorney general Tom Corbett and former U.S. attorney Pat Meehan.

Toomey, a former restaurant owner and banker, has long expressed interest in making another statewide bid. Until recently, he had left the door open for a repeat run for Senate next year — he narrowly lost to U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in the GOP primary in 2004 — but Republicans who have spoken with Toomey in recent weeks say he has turned his attention towards a run for governor.Political observers point to Toomey’s fundraising talent and conservative appeal as assets that would likely prove formidable in a GOP primary.

“He is extremely popular with the conservative base,” said Pittsburgh-based GOP consultant Bill Green. “He has proven he can run a superb campaign. He's got all the tools, there is no doubt about that.”

Because of his previous Senate run and four-year stint leading the Club for Growth, Toomey has access to a large national network of donors that could help him quickly raise large sums of money in a governor’s race, where candidates are not limited by the size of individual donations.

But it’s unclear how widely known he is within the Pennsylvania electorate, even after he won 49 percent of the vote in his race against Specter in 2004.

Categories:Politics
Posted by Scott Kraus at 01:30:28 PM on January 23, 2009

The next iteration of Obama for America, the president's groundbreaking grassroots campaign organization has a new leader, announced, true to form, via an emailed video sent to volunteers about 30 minutes ago.

The new group will be called Organizing for America, and will be led by Mitch Stewart, the campaign's caucus director in Iowa during the primary, and director of Barack Obama's successful Virginia general election campaign.

"We are as an organization going to continue the tactics that were successful during the primary and the general election, which is having friends talk to friends and neighbors talk to neighbors about the issues they care about," Stewart said.

The primary goal will be to help generate grassroots support for Obama's policy initiatives.

Campaign manager David Plouffe said Organizing for America is looking not only to enlist former volunteers, but also people who didn't support Obama but back some of his policies.

And he thanked supporters for contributing financially to the transition and inaugural.

The organization's new goal is "not to win an election but to change this country," Plouffe said.

Categories:Politics
Posted by Scott Kraus at 12:29:18 PM on January 23, 2009

Pennsylvania Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr.'s decision to buck the state's political establishment and endorse Barack Obama in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary appears to have earned him a spot on the president's list of most trusted advisors.

Casey was one of only a handful of Senators and the only prominent Pennsylvanian who appeared in last weekend's New York Times Magazine's photo feature called "Obama's People." The series of 52 photos lists what could be considered the new president's inner circle.

Casey, who mixed it up with Obama on the hardwood on a few occasions during the campaign, including on election day, is pictured holding a basketball.

Spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said she thinks the New York Times Magazine approached Casey at the suggestion of Obama's transition team. Both men are in their 40s, share many political goals, have daughters and earned each other's respect during the campaign.

"They asked us to bring a prop. So there was some discussion about what kind of prop to bring, and we ultimately decided on the basketball," she said.

Most of the subjects brought Blackberries, say photographer Nadav Kander and the magazine's photo director Kathy Ryan in the audio that goes with the online spread.

From Slate Media Critic Jack Shafer's Column This Morning ...
"Nobody in TV news stir-fries his ideas and serves them to the audience
faster than MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Drawing from a larder filled with
old anecdotes, unreliable metaphors, wacky intuition, and superficial
observations, the always-animated Matthews steers whatever's handy into
the hot wok that is his brain. The sizzling free-associations skitter
through his limbic system, leap out his mouth, and look for a resting
spot in the national conversation, where they steam like fresh lava in
untouchable heaps."

Categories:Inauguration
Posted by John Micek at 05:47:55 PM on January 20, 2009

We're Outta Here.It's been a heck of a ride today, folks.Thanks for the comments and e-mails. We'll update tonight if the situation warrants.Otherwise, we'll see you back at Capitol Ideas tomorrow morning.

Here's Harrisburg Republican Strategist Charlie Gerow:"I thought it was mercifully short given the conditions that so many people had to stand in.It was a speech that was built on the foundation that he laid in the campaign. But I doubt very seriously that, 20 years from now, it'll be viewed as a remarkable speech.

I was looking for the great, historic speech ... but there wasn't anything reminiscent of "Ask not what your country can do for you."

His rhetorical skills are well known, and I think that folks looked for, an "I have a dream speech," a really crowning glory moment. It was a good solid speech, no doubt about it.

The call to sacrifice, if I had been advising him, is something I might have left aside for the moment. WE all know we're in tough economic times ... but the American people have always been willing to do their part. but calls to sacrifice are not what motivates us. What motivates us is a call to greatness. It's a matter of tone and focus.

It's his moment. He gets to set the tone and he did. His message is one that we're going to do things very differently. And now is his moment to show what he's got. It will be very, very interesting. I think he will have an extended honeymoon period. There are a lot of folks, including members of the Fourth Estate, who have a vested interest in his success."

Categories:Inauguration
Posted by John Micek at 05:13:52 PM on January 20, 2009

Here's The Latest On Travel Conditions:

Crowds heading out of D.C on the Roosevelt and 14th St. bridges has led
to the closure of I-66 westbound, InsideNova reports. Roosevelt Bridge
has also been closed to vehicular traffic. I-395 southbound is now
reopened after being closed a short time for the same reason.

An excerpt:"With one swift stroke—just 18 minutes of words, delivered in a stern
tone with a steel gaze—Barack Hussein Obama sliced through the usual
clutter and ambiguities of American politics and revealed what it looks
like when history turns on a pivot.

The Bush years are over. Obama’s inaugural address could not have made
the ending more stark, with repeated lines signaling a new direction
and offering veiled but unmistakable indictments of what the 44th
president called a “failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation
for a new age.”

The speech was less precise about what the Obama years will mean.
Indeed, the new president tried to make the frighteningly
improvisational nature of the moment—his administration swimming from
its first instant to deal with a gasping economy at home and unfinished
wars abroad—into a source of strength."

"Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) was conscious and speaking
Tuesday afternoon after being rushed from a lunch honoring President Obama.

Kennedy suffered from what was described by several
attendees as a seizure. He was whisked away by an ambulance to Washington
Hospital Center.

According to ABC News, Kennedy’s son Rep. Patrick Kennedy
(D-R.I.) has described his father’s condition favorably, noting that the
senator was awake and speakSome of Kennedy’s friends, who had accompanied him to the
ambulance, also said that they spoke to the Massachusetts senator before he was
taken away."

"[Obama is] just one of those guys, you know, like Will Smith. There's
no Will Smith jokes. There's no Brad Pitt jokes. You know, what are you
going to say? "Ooh, you used to have sex with Jennifer Anniston. Now
you have sex with Angelina Jolie. You're such a loser." What do you
say? "Ooh, your movies are big. You make $20 million." There's nothing
to say about Brad Pitt...[With Obama it's] like "Ooh, you're young and
virile and you've got a beautiful wife and kids. You're the first
African-American president." You know, what do you say?," - Chris Rock."